Isaiah 42
Young's Literal Translation
42 Lo, My servant, I take hold on him, My chosen one -- My soul hath accepted, I have put My Spirit upon him, Judgment to nations he bringeth forth.
2 He doth not cry, nor lift up, Nor cause his voice to be heard, in the street.
3 A bruised reed he breaketh not, And dim flax he quencheth not, To truth he bringeth forth judgment.
4 He doth not become weak nor bruised, Till he setteth judgment in the earth, And for his law isles wait with hope.
5 Thus said God, Jehovah, preparing The heavens, and stretching them out, Spreading out the earth and its productions, Giving breath to the people on it, And spirit to those walking in it.
6 I, Jehovah, did call thee in righteousness, And I lay hold on thy hand, and keep thee, And I give thee for a covenant of a people, And a light of nations.
7 To open the eyes of the blind, To bring forth from prison the bound one, From the house of restraint those sitting in darkness.
8 I [am] Jehovah, this [is] My name, And Mine honour to another I give not, Nor My praise to graven images.
9 The former things, lo, have come, And new things I am declaring, Before they spring up I cause you to hear.
10 Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, Ye who are going down to the sea, and its fulness, Isles, and their inhabitants.
11 The wilderness and its cities do lift up [the voice], The villages Kedar doth inhabit, Sing do the inhabitants of Sela, From the top of mountains they cry.
12 They ascribe to Jehovah honour, And His praise in the isles they declare.
13 Jehovah as a mighty one goeth forth. As a man of war He stirreth up zeal, He crieth, yea, He shrieketh, Against His enemies He showeth Himself mighty.
14 I have kept silent from of old, I keep silent, I refrain myself, As a travailing woman I cry out, I desolate and swallow up together.
15 I make waste mountains and hills, And all their herbs I dry up, And I have made rivers become isles, And ponds I dry up.
16 And I have caused the blind to go, In a way they have not known, In paths they have not known I cause them to tread, I make a dark place before them become light, And unlevelled places become a plain, These [are] the things I have done to them, And I have not forsaken them.
17 Removed backward -- utterly ashamed, Are those trusting in a graven image, Those saying to a molten image, `Ye [are] our gods.'
18 Ye deaf, hear; and ye blind, look to see.
19 Who [is] blind but My servant? And deaf as My messenger I send? Who [is] blind as he who is at peace, Yea, blind, as the servant of Jehovah?
20 Seeing many things, and thou observest not, Opening ears, and he heareth not.
21 Jehovah hath delight for the sake of His righteousness, He magnifieth law, and maketh honourable.
22 And this [is] a people seized and spoiled, Snared in holes -- all of them, And in houses of restraint they were hidden, They have been for a prey, And there is no deliverer, A spoil, and none is saying, `Restore.'
23 Who among you giveth ear [to] this? Attendeth, and heareth afterwards.
24 Who hath given Jacob for a spoil, And Israel to the spoilers? Is it not Jehovah -- He against whom we sinned? Yea, they have not been willing in His ways to walk, Nor have they hearkened to His law.
25 And He poureth on him fury, His anger, and the strength of battle, And it setteth him on fire round about, And he hath not known, And it burneth against him, and he layeth it not to heart!
Isaiah 42
New American Standard Bible
God’s Promise concerning His Servant
42 “(A)Behold, My (B)Servant, whom I [a]uphold;
My (C)chosen one in whom My (D)soul delights.
I have put My (E)Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth (F)justice to the [b]nations.
2 He will not cry out nor raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
3 A bent reed He will not break off
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth (G)justice.
4 He will not be (H)disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice on the earth;
And the (I)coastlands will wait expectantly for His [c]law.”
5 This is what God the Lord says,
Who (J)created the heavens and (K)stretched them out,
Who spread out the (L)earth and its [d]offspring,
Who (M)gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord, I have (N)called You in righteousness,
I will also (O)hold You by the hand and (P)watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a (Q)covenant to the people,
As a (R)light to the nations,
7 To (S)open blind eyes,
To (T)bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8 (U)I am the Lord, that is (V)My name;
I will not give My (W)glory to another,
Nor My praise to idols.
9 Behold, the (X)former things have come to pass,
Now I declare (Y)new things;
Before they sprout I proclaim them to you.”
10 Sing to the Lord a (Z)new song,
Sing His praise from the (AA)end of the earth!
(AB)You who go down to the sea, and (AC)all that is in it;
You (AD)islands, and those who live on them.
11 Let the (AE)wilderness and its cities raise their voices,
The settlements which (AF)Kedar inhabits.
Let the inhabitants of (AG)Sela sing aloud,
Let them shout for joy from the tops of the (AH)mountains.
12 Let them (AI)give glory to the Lord
And declare His praise in the (AJ)coastlands.
13 (AK)The Lord will go out like a warrior,
He will stir His (AL)zeal like a man of war.
He will shout, indeed, He will raise a war cry.
He will (AM)prevail against His enemies.
The Blindness of the People
14 “(AN)I have kept silent for a long time,
I have kept still and restrained Myself.
Now like a woman in labor I will groan,
I will both gasp and pant.
15 I will (AO)lay waste the mountains and hills
And wither all their vegetation;
I will (AP)turn the rivers into coastlands
And dry up the ponds.
16 I will (AQ)lead those who are blind by a way they have not known,
In paths they have not known I will guide them.
I will (AR)turn darkness into light before them
And (AS)uneven land into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will (AT)not leave them undone.”
17 They will be turned back and be (AU)utterly put to shame,
Who trust in [e]idols,
Who say to cast metal images,
“You are our gods.”
18 (AV)Hear, you who are deaf!
And look, you who are blind, so that you may see.
19 Who is blind but My (AW)servant,
Or so deaf as My (AX)messenger whom I send?
Who is so blind as one who is [f](AY)at peace with Me,
Or so blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 (AZ)You have seen many things, but you do not retain them;
Your ears are open, but no one hears.
21 The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake
To make the Law (BA)great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered and pillaged;
All of them are (BB)trapped in [g]caves,
Or are (BC)hidden away in prisons;
They have become plunder, with no one to save them,
And spoils with no one to say, “Give them back!”
23 Who among you will listen to this?
Who will pay attention and listen in the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob up for spoils, and Israel to plunderers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
And in whose ways they (BD)were not willing to walk,
And whose Law they did not (BE)obey?
25 So He poured out on him the heat of His anger
And the (BF)fierceness of battle;
And it set him aflame all around,
Yet he did not recognize it;
And it burned him, but he [h](BG)paid no attention.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 42:1 Or hold fast
- Isaiah 42:1 Or Gentiles
- Isaiah 42:4 Or instruction
- Isaiah 42:5 Or vegetation
- Isaiah 42:17 Or carved images
- Isaiah 42:19 Or the devoted one
- Isaiah 42:22 Or holes
- Isaiah 42:25 Lit did not lay it to heart
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
